Thunder 117, Grizzlies 116: The Day After Report

Nuggets and notes

• Despite both teams missing significant parts of their squads due to injuries, this turned out to be an excellent match.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace were new additions to the injury report. On the Memphis side, the Grizzlies were without Ja Morant, Scottie Pippen Jr., Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke.
• For most of this game, I felt like I was being administered the Ludovico Technique, watching the Thunder give up offensive rebounds, brick three after three, and fall behind by as many as 21 points.
• OKC actually started off really well. A drive from Ajay Mitchell plus threes from Lu Dort and Branden Carlson put the Thunder up 8-3 early. I actually thought for a moment, maybe the Thunder will have a normal shooting night.
• Unfortunately, OKC continued to struggle deep. The Thunder finished 9 of 37 from three (24%), but through three quarters the champions were a dismal 5 of 27 (18.5%).
• Jalen Williams was excellent. As OKC’s No. 1 seed, Dub really shined in the second half, scoring 18 of his team-leading 26 points (including 12 in the fourth quarter). Jalen also had 10 assists while committing just two turnovers (checks notes).
• I really enjoyed seeing JDub attack the basket and finish like we know he can. It was a difference maker.
• Outside of Jalen Williams, this was a true team effort. Five Thunder players scored in double figures. Along with JDub, Ajay Mitchell had 23, Kenrich Williams 21, Aaron Wiggins 16 and Lu Dort 13.
• I can’t say this enough, but Mitchell is legit. What impresses me about Mitchell is that the guy isn’t shy. He has confidence. He is not afraid of owning possessions.
• I also want to pass it on to Kenny Hustle. The Thunder don’t win this game without Kenrich. This man outshines everyone on the field every time he is there. And his effort sparked the Thunder comeback.
• Although the shooting did indeed occur, and that was a necessary part of the outcome, the eye test showed that effort was the difference maker. If there was a loss, it wouldn’t be because the team didn’t put in the effort and effort to win.
• That hustle and effort really showed in the defense. After giving up 65 points in the first half, the defense swarmed in the second half, holding Memphis to 51 points in the second half and just 22 in the final frame.
• Speaking of defense, even without Chet Holmgren, OKC blocked 8 shots.
• The Thunder turned it over just six times. Six. Quite impressive, honestly.
• Memphis won the rebounding battle 52-36, including 15 offensive boards.
• I still can’t believe that comeback. OKC was stumping in the second half, but Memphis always seemed to have a counter. Deep in the fourth quarter, after the Thunder had pushed the lead to single digits several times, an Aldama floater put the Grizzlies up 13 with 4:21 to go (111-98).
• The Thunder offense really heated up after that, but Memphis responded to maintain an 11-point lead with just over 3:20 remaining. The Grizz had a whopping 98.5% chance of winning according to ESPN’s probabilities.
• At that point the group chat said, “Maybe we can have a moral victory, but this isn’t happening.”
• Then Mitchell converts a cool floater, plus the foul, and it’s an 8-point deficit. A throw from Mitchell to Kenrich results in a bucket and a foul for Kenny, and after the three-point play it’s a five-point deficit. Now faith is returning.
• Another defensive stand and Ajay, the superstar in the making, hits a big three to pull the Thunder within 2. Kenrich another 3, and suddenly OKC is on the high side.
• Then Dort caps a 14-0 Thunder run with two free throws, and the Thunder are one stop away from a remarkable comeback.
• After Memphis gets to within 1 and has a chance to win the ball on the final possession, Alex Caruso covers Cedric Coward before securing the Thunder’s 8th block of the night. Dort dives in to secure the rebound, and somehow OKC leaves Memphis with a win.

One important takeaway

Without SGA and Chet, and missing several other key pieces, you could understand a loss here. But the win last night, with the team still struggling to put the ball through the net, was huge. Right now it feels like OKC is fighting for every win it can get. And when you get a win that is largely powered by reserves, you have the wind at your back.

Every game the Thunder struggles through and wins is another game where the Thunder gets closer to returning to the court without a rankings penalty. Few doubt that this team will return to form (especially if it can get healthy domestically), but if you struggle and still get some wins, that’s a difference maker in playoff seeding.